I was fortunate to take an extended vacation this summer to visit my daughter who is serving in the Peace Corps in Madagascar, with a stop in South Africa and Victoria Falls on the way. Although you see amazing animals while on safari, experience the incredible power of Victoria Falls, and find the undiscovered treasures of Madagascar, it was the beauty of the night that really struck me. Without city light pollution, you find yourself immersed in a night sky full of the most incredible stars. A clear view of a streaking Milky Way and a strong Southern Cross just takes your breath away. Night after night, the stars are there to light up the sky.

But being in the Southern hemisphere, the North Star that I am so used to seeing was nowhere to be found. That got me thinking about how comfortable we are in this half of the world with having the North Star to act as a beacon to guide navigation to true north.

At Forrester, we believe that your brand also needs a North Star: a single statement to serve as a reminder of your brand’s ultimate destination. In our 21st century brand marketing playbook research led by brand expert Tracy Stokes, we’ve outlined the importance of having a strong North Star and brand compass to define and guide your brand to be trusted, remarkable, unmistakable and essential (TRUE).

With the unique issues that business-to-business (B2B) marketers face while turning their brands into a strategic business asset and building long-term relationship with customers, I’m taking an in-depth look at B2B brand best practices. This new report will add specific B2B perspectives to our 21st century brand marketing playbook.

If you’re a B2B CMO or marketing leader, I’m very interested in your insights and comments on how you are approaching building your brand. Specifically, how are you:

  • Creating a North Star?
  • Differentiating your message?
  • Aligning brand experiences across digital and in-person channels?
  • Using your brand to guide purchase journeys in your industry?
  • Building influence and buzz about your brand?
  •  Investing in your brand for the long term?

I’d love to hear your comments and perspectives on this topic and include your views in my research.

Please reach out to me at via email, on my blog, or on my Twitter account with your thoughts and interest in participating.  And, stay tuned for the release of the final report.